 | | Ricky Craven's best finish this season is 16th. Credit: Autostock |
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
September 22, 2004
02:40 PM EDT (18:40 GMT)
LOUDON, N.H. -- Ricky Craven, one of New England's favorite sons in NASCAR, performed his last run in Cal Wells' No. 32 Tide Chevrolet in the Sylvania 300 last weekend at New Hampshire.  |  | RICKY CRAVEN | |
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Craven, being from Newburgh, Maine, has always garnered overwhelming support from the fans at his home racetrack and the most recent trip was no exception, despite mixed results. Craven also drove a factory-backed Chevrolet in Saturday's Sylvania 200 presented by Lowe's Craftsman Truck Series race. He charged to the front in the truck, but crashed out in the race's first half. In the Cup race, he and crew chief Mike Beam battled throughout to score a 17th-place finish, which was Craven's sixth top-20 of the season and one spot behind his best finish of 16th, which he achieved three times. Craven, 38, isn't ready to give up on a racing career that has taken him from New England short tracks, through the Busch North Series, to the Busch Series and finally NASCAR Cup. His name is still in the rumor mill for current Cup openings. On a typical rainy fall afternoon in New Hampshire, Craven sat down with NASCAR.COM senior writer Dave Rodman to discuss his racing future, the viability of single-car teams in Nextel Cup racing and a potential political career. Q: You've had comebacks at New Hampshire before -- as in 1998, when you won the pole for Hendrick Motorsports returning after your head injury -- but what was your mindset this time, running a doubleheader, no less? Ricky Craven: That's funny, because I actually thought about that. As many times as I've been asked about the circumstances, and as many times as I've been asked about the emotion of coming back and running the Tide car for a final time, I have been in a similar situation here before. Coming back in 1998, there was certainly more pressure then, and it worked out. |  | AUDIO | |
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Q: What has been the attitude of people up here in New England, especially on this comeback trip? Have they been upset? Supportive? Craven: It's been exactly what I expected. New England people rally behind me. I've always had the luxury of that New England support, in good times and bad times -- or I should say, good times and tough times. None of it's bad. I've had a great career. There's a lot of speculation about what I'm doing next year. I'm doing something, but I don't know what yet. I've learned not to be impulsive. I'm going to spend some time, here, evaluating and try to make some good decisions as it relates to next year. But coming home here (this time) has been no different than any of my visits to New Hampshire. I'm always greeted warmly and I'm always given a nice welcome home. Q: As you say, the support in New England has always been strong, and in Maine, outstanding. This may be a real long-range goal, but in an election year, have you given any thoughts to a political career -- maybe governor of Maine, or something like that? Craven: (laughing) That's great -- that's great. No. First of all, I appreciate (Maine) Governor (John) Baldacci. I think he's doing a wonderful job. I live in North Carolina, but my family obviously keeps me informed of what's going on in the state. |  | | The No. 32 team hustles to get its driver back on track. Credit: Autostock |
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I actually met Governor Baldacci on Capitol Hill. I was doing an event or an appearance there and he came down and introduced himself. I made the connection. He is very good for the state. When I say 'I made the connection,' (I meant) he's a Maine boy. I like what he represents and what he stands for and since then have spent some time with him. I appreciate him and I think he's doing a good job. That's (possible political future) out there (laughing). That doesn't (work). Q: Well, someone pointed that possibility out to me -- so if maybe not governor, then some other political office, possibly? Craven: That's funny, you know, because as you go through life you're taught to not say 'never.' To never say 'never,' because you never know, when you come to an intersection in life, do you turn left, do you turn right or do you go straight? A lot of things can change, but my focus is on auto racing and my focus is on trying to continue a career that's been very good to me. I've said it before -- I think I'm in the middle innings of this game. There's a lot of racing left for me, but as it relates to New England, and Maine in particular, we have a home there on Moosehead Lake. We've spent every Christmas there since it was built and we'll spend every Christmas there as long as I'm on planet Earth. We spend summers there. Maine is very, very important to me. My wife, my children and I just love this state and appreciate the people. It's all good. Q: We've talked before about floating on Moosehead Lake. In late summer 2004, after you and Cal decided to drop the final two years of your contract with PPI, what's the thought process been, floating on the lake? |  | | Craven with his former car owner, Cal Wells. Credit: Autostock |
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Craven: It's a great place for me to think, and I'm actually going from here to Moosehead, to spend some time. It's just a great place for me to download, whether I'm on the phone or I'm sitting on the dock -- it's productive. In my opinion, it's a place that everybody needs to visit at some point in their lives because places like that are hard to find, now. If you don't like quiet -- if you don't enjoy the wilderness, you might not want to plan that trip. But for me it's been great because it's 180 degrees from our lifestyle, which is run, run, run. It's been good for my family and I. Q: At New Hampshire you had a two-pronged weekend, racing a truck, in which you ran pretty good. So without putting you on the spot or getting too specific, are we apt to see you racing anything, looking ahead short-term or even a couple years down the road? Craven: I wouldn't expect to see me racing anything for the rest of the year. That may change, if I were in a situation to race the remainder of the year with someone. But outside of the truck opportunity (last) weekend, which was a commitment I made in January, I won't get in a car or truck for one race. That's really of no interest to me, because it's very difficult to prepare for anything, one week at a time, and compete successfully. But I am enjoying myself. My interest is on the Cup side and being in the Nextel Cup Series. Having won last year, I think that stands for something. This year certainly hasn't gone the way we would have liked, but it's been a good three-and-half years racing the Tide Monte Carlo. It's been rewarding, and we legitimized our existence by winning at Martinsville and Darlington. Although it's not enough, and I expect more -- it's something I appreciate and it's a measure of success when you can win at this level. We were able to do that a couple times as a single car team and I think that's a strong statement. Q: I think Darlington 2003 proves there's plenty of racer left in Ricky Craven, but do you see this so-called "young gun craze" having any affect on your -- or any veteran drivers' -- career aspirations. Craven: I think it's just short term. All industries are cyclical, where there's a trend and it runs for a little while and it will revert back to something different or opposite. | | Nextel Cup Series | |
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This is no different. There is a cycle (now) where the focus is on 20-year-old drivers, and I think that will change again. And I think that there is a place for 20-, 30-, 40-year-old drivers in this sport. But there will always be a cycle where one's in favor, and right now it's the young drivers. Q: Being out of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, in more ways than one, does have its benefits. Are you really having trouble getting Red Sox tickets? Craven: (laughing) You know, the trouble is that I waited too long and I wasn't sure what I would be doing at this point. We came up here to New Hampshire on Wednesday night, and the weather this time of year is just awesome. It just seemed like when I was growing up, and it was like being home. And (wife Cathleen and I) thought, 'what are we going to be doing next weekend?' which is an issue that we hadn't had to deal with for four years -- 'what are we doing next weekend?' Well, if I were not driving something, then I'd want to be almost detached from it, sort of be away from it. So the fact is, the Yankees are going to be at Fenway (Park in Boston). For a New England boy, there's no place you'd rather be. So I'm campaigning to purchase four tickets, somewhere, somehow. Unfortunately I started a little late, but I've got a few days, here and I'm working it hard. Q: You said if you're not racing, you don't really want to be around it and as a New England guy you've got the Patriots and Red Sox getting fired-up -- but does the Chase for the Nextel Cup actually intrigue you enough to watch? Ricky Craven: It's a grand slam -- awesome. There's no question that it has already paid dividends and will be accepted as the norm over the long term. But the short term is that this thing has the potential to bring more excitement and create new ways to measure your season, from a driver's standpoint or a team's standpoint. Did you make the playoffs? Did you not make the playoffs? From a driver or team's standpoint, (you can say) we've made the playoffs the last four years, or so-and-so missed the playoffs this year. And I think that's just another way of measuring yourself, and that's going to pay off for a lot of people. But it also comes with some risk. | | CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP | |
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Because being that it is another way of measuring your season, the drivers racing between 11th and 20th for the last several years, if you fall in to that category, what would be perceived as being safe before, would now be perceived as failing to make the playoffs. I think that's going to be the casualty for some of the drivers, is that that could work against you. Which is OK, because that's no different than football, being 8-8 or 9-7. Q: Getting back to PPI and this season, we know if the answers were simple, they'd be fixed, but was the switch the switch to Chevrolet ultimately more difficult to overcome than anyone thought and is it possible for a one-car team to successfully exist in Nextel Cup racing in 2004 and beyond? Ricky Craven: Oh yeah -- absolutely yes. A single-car team can survive, and I think we proved last year that a single-car team could be successful, again, on a short term. But it's my opinion that a single-car team cannot match the multi-car teams over the long haul. In fact, it's my opinion that there's no way a single-car team can overcome the networking and the sharing of information, and the team aspect of the three-, four- or five-car teams. It is such a tremendous disadvantage, particularly in the second half of the season, when a single-car team has run out of tests or just when you get into the stretch run. Q: Probably the last positive about what's occurred with you and Cal splitting up is that it increases your family time. Your son had some interest in racing, so has this latest turn of events been one more thing that's made you and (Cathleen) try to talk him out of it? |  | | Craven spends some time with Ken Schrader. Credit: Autostock |
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Ricky Craven: My wife's been campaigning, or trying to talk him out of it. Even after we won Martinsville and Darlington, (their son racing) was of no interest to her. From my standpoint, I want them to do whatever they want to do. The ups and downs of the sport are exactly that -- they're just the ups and downs and they're part of the sport. If you're not tough enough to take it, then you're not in the right game. Q: Your dad raced, and you followed him into the sport and have made a career of it. Is racing, despite the huge financial cost, a perfect forum to develop successful lifetime habits and patterns? Ricky Craven: It's provided a wonderful life for me -- fabulous. I have absolutely enjoyed the 23 years I've raced and have also been blessed with opportunity. I've made friends and enjoyed camaraderie (so) it's all been really, really good to me. You need to put things in perspective. I think that whenever times (get tough) -- the situation we're in now is not the easiest -- but it's still a game. It feels life threatening, at times, but the fact is it's not. Every one of us knows someone or is related to someone or is friends with someone who is down on their luck with some real problems -- whether they're life threatening illnesses or financial issues or whatever. There are a lot of (things). It's important to put things in perspective, really. We have a (charity) snowmobile ride, the last Saturday in January. We've done it for seven years and beyond being a community and an opportunity for the same group to get together and enjoy one another and the social aspect of it. It provides all of us with great perspective. We represent some of the charities that deal with the realities of life, like the Children's Miracle Network. My wife and I have both gone to the eighth floor of the Eastern Maine Medical Center around Christmas for the last several years and been exposed to children the same age as ours with life-threatening illnesses. Boy, that will do it for you. Your problems are minimal. If you spend 15 minutes with a Make-A-Wish child, you don't have any problems. So, as difficult as this is for me and the people associated with me, it's not the end of the world and I choose not to look at it that way. I choose to look at it from the other aspect, which is that it's been very good to me, and for me. It's produced a couple wins, double digit top-fives and top-10s, three poles -- it's all good. | 
